I took curcumin for years for pain in my joints. Eventually, those pains went away. So I stopped the curcumin. After this, I realized during this time, I didn't experience random episodes of depression. After I stopped supplementing with it, those depressive episodes came back. I little research on pubmed shows that Curcumin is a potent antidepressant. It is also a great anti-inflammatory, immune modulator, is neuro-protective and many other functions.
Curcumin is also used for patients with Alzheimers disease as it reduces the amyloid plaques that develpop in alzheimers patients. We've found in this forum that things that help alzheimers patients, like lecithin and choline are also beneficial to us. Curcumin also acts as an MAO-B inhibitors. This is what breaks down serotonin and other neuro-transmitters in the brain. Curcumin increases glutathione in the brain....Also, curcumin is typically use against cancer...Curcumin can boost the immune system and has anti viral, bacterial and fungal properties.

Curcuma longa is a major constituent of Xiaoyao-san, the traditional Chinese medicinal formula, which has been used to effectively manage stress and depression-related disorders in China. Curcumin is the active component of curcuma longa, and we hypothesized that curcumin would have an influence on depressive-like behaviors. The purpose of the present study was to confirm the putative antidepressant effect of chronic administrations of curcumin (1.25, 2.5, 5 and 10 mg/kg, p.o.) in the forced swimming test and bilateral olfactory bulbectomy (OB) models of depression in rats. In the first study, chronic treatment with curcumin (14 days) reduced the immobility time in the forced swimming test. In the second experiment, curcumin reversed the OB-induced behavioral abnormalities such as hyperactivity in the open field, as well as deficits in step-down passive avoidance. In addition, OB-induced low levels of serotonin (5-HT), noradrenaline (NA), high 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) and 4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) in the hippocampus were observed, and were completely reversed by curcumin administration. A slight decrease in 5-HT, NA and dopamine (DA) levels was found in the frontal cortex of OB rats which was also reversed by curcumin treatment. These results confirm the antidepressant effects of curcumin in the forced swim and the OB models of depression in rats, and suggest that these antidepressant effects may be mediated by actions in the central monoaminergic neurotransmitter systems.

Curcuma longa is a major constituent of Xiaoyao-san, the traditional Chinese medicinal formula, which has been used effectively to treat depression-related diseases in China. There is no information available about the antidepressant activity of curcumin, the active component of curcuma longa. In the present study, we analyzed the effects of curcumin on depressive-like behaviors in mice, using two animal models of depression. Our results showed that curcumin treatment at 5 and 10 mg/kg (p.o.) significantly reduced the duration of immobility in both the tail suspension and forced swimming tests. These doses that affected the immobile response did not affect locomotor activity. In addition, the neurochemical assays showed that curcumin produced a marked increase of serotonin and noradrenaline levels at 10 mg/kg (this is about 800 mg per day for an 180 lb. person) in both the frontal cortex and hippocampus. Dopamine levels were also increased in the frontal cortex and the striatum. Moreover, curcumin was found to inhibit monoamine oxidase activity in the mouse brain. These findings suggest that the antidepressant-like effects of curcumin may involve the central monoaminergic neurotransmitter systems.

Curcumin even helps to modulate dopamine and serotonin release. Two neurotransmitters linked to depression when deficient.

RATIONALE: Curcumin is a major active principle of Curcuma longa, one of the widely used preparations in the Indian system of medicine. It is known for its diverse biological actions. OBJECTIVE: The present study was designed to investigate the involvement of monoaminergic system(s) in the antidepressant activity of curcumin and the effect of piperine, a bioavailability enhancer, on the bioavailability and biological effects of curcumin. METHODS AND OBSERVATIONS: Behavioral (forced swim test), biochemical (monoamine oxidase (MAO) enzyme inhibitory activity), and neurochemical (neurotransmitter levels estimation) tests were carried out. Curcumin (10-80 mg/kg, i.p.) dose dependently inhibited the immobility period, increased serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) as well as dopamine levels (at higher doses), and inhibited the monoamine oxidase enzymes (both MAO-A and MAO-B, higher doses) in mice. Curcumin (20 mg/kg, i.p.) enhanced the anti-immobility effect of subthreshold doses of various antidepressant drugs like fluoxetine, venlafaxine, or bupropion. However, no significant change in the anti-immobility effect of imipramine and desipramine was observed. Furthermore, combination of subthreshold dose of curcumin and various antidepressant drugs resulted in synergistic increase in serotonin (5-HT) levels as compared to their effect per se. There was no change in the norepinephrine levels. The coadministration of piperine (2.5 mg/kg, i.p.), a bioavailability enhancing agent, with curcumin (20 and 40 mg/kg, i.p.) resulted in potentiation of pharmacological, biochemical, and neurochemical activities. CONCLUSION: The study provides evidences for mechanism-based antidepressant actions of curcumin. The coadministration of curcumin along with piperine may prove to be a useful and potent natural antidepressant approach in the management of depression.

However, I did not find any relationship between curcumin and GABA.

It's amazing what you can find on Pubmed. Just start typing in keywords and see what you can find. There's been research done on just about anything.

IHerb has curcumin with bioperine (which can enhance the bioavailability up to 2000%). One major issue with taking curcumin by itself is that it's bioavailability basically sucks. I use it also and have noticed no aching joints and a better mood. It also helps kill cancer cells during the G2 phase of growth.

If you are a cancer-phobe you can lower your chances by taking EGCG and Curcumin. Both interrupt cancer cell growth during the G1/G2 phase.

Curcumin dissolves well in fat so I try to take it around meal time. This pretty much circumvents the problem. Also, bioperine help. The a new formulation called BCM-95 which, (duh) uses more of the turmeric root to increase absorption. Life extension has this one.

__________________
The Food & Drug Administration (FDA)

It's the government's way of trying to protect you from protecting yourself.

Have you come across any research suggesting that curcumin helps improve memory? I know of 1 article, which says that curcumin reduces risk of Alzheimers' but preventing memory loss is different from memory improvement.

If you have not that is fine, thanks for posting the articles above. I have been taking curcumin for a few weeks now.

When I took curcumin I also got some stomache problems...but I am sure it was working in some way I was sooo much happier on it. But my weight started to drop so...

From what I understand Curcumin is rich in sulfa and raises glutathione. It seems when I take things that are rich in sulfa I get even more stomache problems...I suppose that is the mercury connection.

Thought I would add that I noticed a extra benefit when I took a teaspoon of cocconut oil and mixed it with turmeric and hot water and a little salt... Now Iguess Iunderstand why. Been taking it for the last 2-3 days to ward off my craziness and I seem to be calmer...but alrready loosing weight! Sigh what's a girl to do!